Immigration Tips for Peru

Updated 1 July 2012 

 ***Be sure you ask at Immigrations about your visa as rules and fees seem to change often. ***

About Immigration


Immigration or DIGEMIN (Direccion General de Migraciones and Naturalizacion) is in charge of all the visas, resident permits and naturalisation done in Peru. The main immigration office is located in Brena. Bowever, there are other smaller immigration offices around Peru. Some of them are very small and can only do little things, such as help you get a replacement TAM. Others are bigger and will even allow you to get your CE there, outside of Lima. If you live outside of Lima, check with your closest immigration office and see what they can do.

The main office in Brena isn't one of the very nice districts in Lima. However, the area around Immigrations is safe. The worst thing that you'll have to deal with is people shouting "copies 20 cents". The address is Av. España 730. Maps can be found at Guia Calles. They open at 8am and close at 1pm. Go early to avoid lines. Their phone number is 4176900. Here are some useful links.

• Complete list of immigration fees.
• Immigration Letter Templates
• Immigration Offices
• Visa requirements in English

Forms
All visas (except tourist visas given upon entry) require you to fill out Form F007 (Either click on the link and print it off the website. Ignore the description, just find F007, open the document and print it. You can also get it for free at immigrations.). You'll have to pay the fee at  the Banco de la Nacion.

If there is a bilateral agreement between your country and Peru for free visas, you have to pay a fee in order not to pay for the visa. Go figure: nothing is free in Peru.

Tips

1. Don’t go to the Banco de la Nacion in Immigrations. There's usually a long line. Instead go to another one near your house. Also, don’t go to the Banco de la Nacion on days near the 15th or the 30th, these are pay days and the lines are super long.
2. Forms are free. You can print these off the website or get them there. If you need to get forms there, they are on the left-hand side immediately as you enter Immigrations. After you have completed the forms and have paid at the Banco de la Nacion, you will have to make a copy of the form with the ticket from the bank on top of the form.
3. Three: Have everything ready. Make sure you have all the documents that you need and if necessary have them translated, notarised or legalised. See DIGEMIN for the latest immigration information.
4. Make copies. Make sure you have photocopies of all your documents, front and back. They will stamp your copies and keep the orginals. You'll have to show either a passport or CE to get in.
5. Go early. Go to Immigrations early in the morning when it first opens (8am) and there are less people in line.
6. Bring something to do. A book to read, music to listen to, anything to keep you occupied as you might be there for a few hours.
7. Be nice to the people who work there. Happy government workers are more likely to help you than unhappy or angry ones.
8. Go to the Mesa de Partes first. When you're walking towards Immigrations, you'll see that the Peruvians go to the right, you go to the side door on the left. You'll have to show either a passport or CE to get in. If you have bags, they'll make you open them so they can check them. Simple things, like renewing your CE, take about 2 working days. More complicated things, like when you get your visa for the first time, can take a couple weeks to a couple months. When you come back, go to the third floor. All foreigners do their paperwork on the third floor.
9. Get a tramidator. If you don’t want to go through all of this paperwork, get a tramitador to do the work for you. The following have been recommended by expats. Marcos Saman 97360078, Juan Salas 9984-6714, Adelfio Alcalde Auerzola 2249739 or 2262412, Jorge Huaranga 4718617, Marcelino Ibarra 3360572, Edgar Ramos 948901404
10. Ten: Smile. Remember it’s not too bad; if you think that it’s difficult for you, look at the line to get Peruvian passports.

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